Lavena Bedford Speier

Lavena “Shan” Speier passed away Monday, May 5, 2025 in Covington, Louisiana. Shan was born and raised in Weatherford, Texas. She attended Weatherford High School (WHS) where she played basketball and volleyball. Her Girls Volleyball Team, the 1953 District 4AA champions, were inducted into the WHS Hall of Fame in 2011. She attended Baylor University for a few years, but left to take care of her sick father. She met her husband Bill while working as an Engineer’s Assistant at General Dynamics in Fort Worth, Texas. They married on May 3, 1958, and then moved to the Houston area in 1962, where Bill began working for NASA Johnson Space Center. She lived in Houston for about 60 years where she was a house wife, raised her children, traveled all over the world with Bill during retirement, and celebrated her 50th wedding anniversary and 7 more anniversaries before his death. She was a very talented seamstress, and she was also gifted at other types of handiwork, including crewel embroidery.

Shan is survived by her son Steven Bret Speier and his wife Eleanor of North Richland Hills, Texas, and her daughter Iris Speier Gallatin and her husband Roland of Covington, Louisiana, her brother Coy Bedford of Arlington, Texas, as well as a host of other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the American Cancer Society.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, May 17 at 10:00 AM, at Wade Family Funeral Home on 4140 W Pioneer Parkway in Arlington, Texas. A reception, including lunch, will be provided after the service.

A family committal and Inurnment ceremony will be held on Monday, May 19. 9:45 AM at the Veterans Memorial National Cemetery in Houston. Lavena will be joining William Marcus Speier that was buried with military honors in 2016.